Transportation planners have approved a second round of funding in long-range plans to improve the commute on Virginia Route 28 between Manassas Park and Fairfax County.

Virginia state Sen. Danica Roem (D-Prince William County) said the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority OK’d $40 million to fund road improvements that include innovative intersection designs, a raised median and a 1.75 mile-long sidewalk between Manassas in the Yorkshire area of Prince William County.

“We now have all the money we need to fully fund the innovative intersection design plan that I’ve been working on for six and a half years now, to fix Route 28 between Manassas Park and Yorkshire,” said Roem.

Construction work is estimated to begin in late 2027.

“What people should expect between now and 2027 is all the preliminary work getting done. … Pretty much what’s going to happen over the next three years is all the design work, utility movement ideas and the minimal amount of eminent domain,” said Roem.

No houses will be removed, but some buildings, housing and businesses will be taken by eminent domain for the road improvement project, according to Roem, who said she is pleased that the project is based on ideas from area residents, commuters and workers.

“Bottom line — this is a really good day for commuters, for Route 28, knowing that help is on the way. It’s going to take a little bit (of time), but we’ve got $64.5 million coming to make our commutes on Route 28 in the Greater Manassas area safer, quicker and greener,” said Roem.

WTOP’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report.

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VIRGINIA — With expertise across multiple specialty areas, two Virginia hospitals ranked high nationally in several specialty areas, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2024-2025 Best Hospitals ranking released Tuesday.

In all, 15 Virginia hospitals were included in the list of the country’s best health-care facilities.

For its 35th annual report, U.S. News evaluated more than 5,000 hospitals based on their performance across 30 medical and surgical services.

Inova Fairfax Hospital ranked 36th in obstetrics and gynocology; and VCU Medical Center ranked 42nd in cardiology, heart and vascular surgery; 33rd in orthopedics, and 19th in rehabilitation.

These Are The Top-Ranked Hospitals In Virginia: U.S. News Ranking:

1. Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church
2. VCU Medical Center, Richmond
3. Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Norfolk
4. Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, Roanoke
5. University of Virginia Medical Center, Charlottesville
6. Virginia Hospital Center, Arlington
7. Mary Washington Hospital, Fredericksburg
8. Winchester Medical Center, Winchester
9. Henrico Doctors’ Hospitals, Richmond
10. Sentara Leigh Hospital, Norfolk
11. Chippenham and Johnston-Willis Hospitals, Richmond
12. Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, Fairfax
13. Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, Virginia Beach
14. Chesapeake Regional Medical Center, Chesapeake
15. Centra Lynchburg General Hospital, Lynchburg

Inova Fairfax Hospital was also among the top 466 Best Regional Hospitals in the country, according to U.S. News.

For the first time this year, U.S. News also identified 98 hospitals across the country for their success in caring for patients from historically underserved communities. Here are the top five hospitals by specialty:

Cancer

1. University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
2. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City
3. Mayo Clinic-Rochester, Rochester, Minnesota
4. Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center, Boston
5. City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California

Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery

1. Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Ohio
2. NYU Langone Hospitals, New York City
3. Mayo Clinic-Rochester, Rochester, Minnesota
4. Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City
5. New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia and Cornell, New York City

Neurology & Neurosurgery

1. NYU Langone Hospitals, New York City
2. Mayo Clinic-Rochester, Rochester, Minnesota
3. UCSF Health-UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco
4. New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia and Cornell, New York City
5. Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore, MD)

Orthopedics

1. Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City
2. Mayo Clinic-Rochester, Rochester, Minnesota
3. NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, New York City
4. New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia and Cornell, New York City
5. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles

To calculate the 2024-2025 Best Hospitals for the Honor Roll, specialty and region, U.S. News evaluated each hospital’s performance using a variety of measures. Data came from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, American Hospital Association, professional organizations, and medical specialists. The Procedures & Conditions ratings are based entirely on objective patient care measures.

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Three Central Virginia natives heard their names called in the first eight rounds of the 2024 MLB Draft. Griff O’Ferrall went in the first round 32nd overall to the Baltimore Orioles, Konnor Eaton went in the sixth Round 168th overall to the Colorado Rockies and Will Riley went in the eighth round 243rd overall to the Seattle Mariners.

Griff O’Ferrall who played high school baseball at St. Christopher’s School was drafted out of UVA where he was a Gold Glove winner at shortstop this past season. He went in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft to the Baltimore Orioles.

Konner Eaton who played high school baseball at Prince George High School was drafted out of George Mason where he was the team’s ace this past season starting 14 games and striking out 82 batters. He went in the sixth round of the 2024 MLB Draft to the Colorado Rockies.

Will Riley who played high school baseball at James River High School was drafted out of Virginia Military Institute where he started 14 games for the Keydets and struck out 84 batters in 78 innings pitched. He went in the eighth round of the 2024 MLB Draft to the Seattle Mariners.